Original document : https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esfa-assurance-work-on-post-16-funding

Change description : 2025-06-05 16:31:00: Added ‘Common findings from assurance work on post-16 education providers: 2023 to 2024 assurance year’, ‘Apprenticeship: new training provider or employer control questions’, ‘Evidence requirements for apprenticeships funding: step by step process 2024 to 2025’ and ‘Internal control questions’. Updated ‘Post-16 funding assurance review guidance’ and ‘Funding assurance review: step by step process’ to remove reference to ESFA and improve accessibility. [Guidance and regulation]

Showing diff : 2024-09-04 09:08:40.804151312 +00:00..2025-06-05 15:32:02.397011913 +00:00

Guidance

ESFADfE assurance work on post-16 funding

Guidance on theDfE's Educationpost-16 and Skills Funding Agency's funding assurance process for further education and new apprenticeship providers.

Details

The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) closed on 31 March 2025. All activity has moved to the Department for Education (DfE). You should continue to follow this guidance.

This guidance is for ESFA funded:DfE-funded:

  • further education providers
  • new apprenticeship providers

It includes:

  • information on what to expect if you are chosen for an audit
  • step by step processes to help you collect evidence
  • controls and processes you should have in place to avoid non-compliance

The following process flow diagrams may not be suitable for users of assistive technology:

  • Funding assurance review
  • Evidence requirements for apprenticeships funding

Users should instead refer to the accompanying HTML versions which are accessible:

  • Funding assurance review: step by step process
  • Evidence requirements for apprenticeships funding: step by step process 2024 to 2025

Use ILR data: provider data self-assessment toolkit (PDSAT) for information on PDSAT and reports to help FE providers make accurate ILR data returns.

Updates to this page

Published 11 June 2019
Last updated 45 SeptemberJune 2024 + show2025 href="#full-history">+ show all updates

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Update history

2025-06-05 16:31
Added ‘Common findings from assurance work on post-16 education providers: 2023 to 2024 assurance year’, ‘Apprenticeship: new training provider or employer control questions’, ‘Evidence requirements for apprenticeships funding: step by step process 2024 to 2025’ and ‘Internal control questions’. Updated ‘Post-16 funding assurance review guidance’ and ‘Funding assurance review: step by step process’ to remove reference to ESFA and improve accessibility.

2024-09-04 10:08
Added ‘ESFA Post-16 funding assurance review guidance’, ‘Funding assurance review: step by step process’, ‘Evidence requirements for apprenticeships funding: step by step process 2023 to 2024’ and ‘Apprenticeship: New training provider or employer control questions’.

2023-10-25 14:21
We’ve published information on ESFA’s funding assurance work in 2022-23 relating to the funding assurance reviews of providers’ 2021/22 post-16 funding claims.